A new wave of California lawsuits targets alleged unpaid work by part-time faculty at community colleges. Plaintiffs say institutions failed to compensate instructors for duties outside contracted classroom hours, including preparing lectures, travel between campuses, grading, and ongoing student communication. The litigation follows an $18 million settlement by Long Beach Community College District over similar claims. With more than two-thirds of California Community Colleges employees reported as temporary or part-time, the cases could accelerate labor organizing, reshape institutional compensation practices, and raise compliance scrutiny around contingent faculty workload expectations.